At a distinguished ceremony held in Mandela Hall within the Nobel Peace Center of Oslo Norway, Mr. Pramit Maakoday, President of the Global Citizen Forum, Co-Founder of the Boston Center of Excellence for Health and Human Development, founding member of Friends of Madhya Pradesh, and Billion Hopes Foundation and Accelerator, was conferred the Award for Excellence in Global Equity, Social Innovation, and Wellness by the Women International Network (WIN) President Kristin Engvigg and associated organizations.

The event was held on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, a global movement brought to life by the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, who was respectfully acknowledged for elevating Yoga, holistic health, and integrated wellness to the global stage. Today, International Yoga Day is celebrated in over 150 countries as a symbol of preventive health and global harmony.

The Women International Network (WIN), headquartered in Switzerland and active in Norway, India, the United States, and many other countries, honored Mr. Maakoday for his decades-long commitment to advancing inclusive and impactful systems in healthcare, education, women empowerment and clean energy. His work emphasizes social innovation rooted in global best practices for global good, benefiting communities across both the developed and developing world.

Mr. Maakoday expressed his views before a distinguished audience present at the Nobel Peace Center Mandela Hall, stating:

“We need to strive to create meaningful synergies between ancient wisdom and current innovation to build truly integrated ecosystems for mental, spiritual, and physical (MSP) health and well-being. When people, process, and purpose come together, transformation becomes possible for all, beyond barriers of gender, religion, or nationality.”

He emphasized the importance of inclusive development and the need to place women’s leadership and empowerment at the center of all future global progress.

Mr. Maakoday’s vision echoes the contributions of global leaders such as Padma Shri Dr. H.R. Nagendra, a pioneer in yoga-based health science; Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sadguru and Shri Ramdev who have been the international voice for peace and wellness; Rajrishi Dr. B.K. Modi, who unites Vedic wisdom with futuristic thinking and champions the vision of a Happy, Healthy, Wealthy Life Beyond 100; and Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, who has consistently advanced Indo-U.S. cooperation in education , healthcare and public affairs.